Bira 91, India’s Most Prevalent Craft Beer, Has Made Its Way To The US Market

Bira 91, founded by disruptor and global entrepreneur Ankur Jain, launched in early 2015 in New Dehli with a flavorful portfolio of essential beers and a playful monkey mascot. With the demand for an Indian lager that provided a fresh, new and flavorful consumer experience, Bira 91 has since spearheaded a creative lifestyle movement through its playful approach to life and unique flavor. Owing to these delicious brews and a bold Make Play identity, the start-up quickly built affinity amongst urban millennials, going viral in India and becoming the largest draft brand in the country.

Upon launch, Bira 91 raised a round of investment from the legendary Silicon Valley based venture firm Sequoia Capital, the fund’s first investment in a beer company globally. This created growth and development, with Bira 91 leaping across to New York City to begin its campaign in the United States by 2017. In the spring of 2018, Belgium’s family office Sofina Capital made an additional investment in the brand, bringing the total capital raised by the company to over $100 million. This allowed further expansion, as the brand entered the Asia Pacific markets by way of Singapore shortly thereafter. In less than three years, Bira 91 is now in the top 25 craft beer brands worldwide by sales volume and the world’s fastest growing beer brand.

In a world where consumers are seeking more flavor and color, and cities are becoming more vibrant, the tech-immersed and playful Bira 91 aims to drive the global shift in beer towards more color and flavor. The brand’s vision for the world of flavorful beers is essentialist, as they seek to offer a portfolio of essential beers that are sessionable, distinctive, and satisfy major taste preferences. The selection is refreshingly modern, striking a balance between complex and basic through an approachable attitude that also offers a depth and creativity that appeals to the sophisticated eye.

Designed using the best of science, tradition, and careful selections of the world’s most premium ingredients such as malts from Belgium and hops from the Himalayas, Bira 91 offers the US three handcrafted beers, Bira 91 White (low bitterness Wheat Beer), Bira 91 Blonde (Craft Lager) and Bira 91 IPA (Gateway IPA). The three varieties range from 4% to 7% ABV while incorporating different flavor notes from honey, to hints of tropical fruits, appealing to a variety of taste preferences. Further reflecting the brand’s youthful approach to life is the presentation of bold and lively packaging at accessible price points.

The playful lager, where the 91 stands for India’s country code, brings a unique and modern Make Play outlook that unapologetically celebrates the idea of experimentation. Operating as a creative fuel, Bira 91 encourages consumers to unleash their carefree selves in order to tap into all that’s exciting and undiscovered. The brand reminds today’s modern consumer that play can be injected into mundane moments for a more fun and fulfilling every day, leading to the creation of new technological paradigms and innovative collaboration. It’s this creation of a constant coming of age moment for the urban generation that allows Bira 91 to continue to revolutionize the craft beer industry worldwide.

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About The Author

Co-Founder of Beer Alien.
Raymond Melendez is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief for Local San Diego Metal website sdmetal.com. Besides Heavy Metal music, Raymond is also a movie buff and Craft Beer enthusiast. Which it's why he is also the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Popular Movie Review website 'MovieFloss.com' and Co-Founder of Craft Beer website 'BeerAlien.com'.